u/Vent_Vert

I have chosen a breeder I like who is near me. I will be visiting the puppies tomorrow. They are about 6 weeks old right now, and it is a very large litter.

At first, I was sure I wanted a female dog, mostly due to females being smaller than males as adults. However, after speaking with the breeder about the different temperaments and personalities of the puppies, I'm becoming more openminded. I am realizing a puppy is a puppy and even a small standard is still a large dog, and if we can accommodate a smaller female surely we can also accommodate a larger male. This opens up the entire litter, since it was over 10 puppies, and only 2 females.

That being said... how do I best know which puppy is "the one"? I certainly am drawn to one based only on color and looks. He also has an excellent temperament. The other one I was interested in was a female, born the smallest in the litter but growing well and in good health. She also was identified as having an excellent temperament. There are others with good temperaments as well, according to the breeder so I mostly will have a pick since it's early and I am nearby.

I have children, we are an active and social family on the weekends. During the weekdays, we work in an office full-time (yes, we will hire dog sitters/walkers when the puppy is young, and we plan to crate train). I am hoping we both can bring our dog into the office - however, this would only be possible if the dog is extremely well-behaved.

I have lined up a vet check, first groom appointment, and identified a dog trainer for puppy class. I am still anxious about choosing the "right" dog for us!

Do you have any tips for knowing which is the right dog?

I have told a few people we are getting a standard poodle soon (she will be old enough in September). 2 people, both doodle owners (according to them, one had a f3 doodle and another had a goldendoodle that was 75/25 golden/poodle) reacted as if standards were impossible menaces. 1 told me flat out not to get one.

Why is this? From my reading, poodles should be more trainable and predictable than doodles, right?

I am looking at puppies soon and the litter was 12 pups! Mostly males. Only 1 female left, I was interested in her due to her smaller size plus she was the runt. Is there much difference in behaviors of males v females?

I do not plan on breeding and will have them fixed. My house is 1250 sq ft so I am a little worried about the size of the dog. I have a yard, I live in a suburb, but it's not fenced in yet. Based on my reading that standards can do ok in an apartment, maybe the dog size is something I don't need to worry about? Originally I was looking at minis but there is a breeder nearby who is ethical and raising them in a loving, caring home so I'd like to go with their puppies.

This will be my first dog and looking for a mellow dog in-home yet active when we have adventures.

UPDATE: I also am considering labs and goldens. These 3 seem to be the top 3 for family dogs. Please share your thoughts on these breeds as well. Thanks!

UPDATE #2: We have put down a deposit on a brown female standard puppy. We met her and her littermates today at the breeder’s home and wow it was tough to choose but she is a sweetheart and one of the smaller pups. So excited!!!

I'm doing research right now on adding a dog to the family. I have kids elementary age and older, and 2 kittens. We have full-time jobs, sometimes my partner can work from home, I work in an office that is dog-friendly (assuming dog is well-behaved).

I thought I wanted a rescue dog but am worried about the dog's history and trauma and unknowns due to having other pets and kids in the house. I would like a cuddly (daughter's request) dog that is not toy size, but smaller than 30 lbs. I would like to be able to take a dog everywhere - in the office or to the beach or on a hike.

I looked at Cavaliers but they seem to have a lot of health issues. Same with French bulldogs. I like labs but I think they may be too big. I am learning that Doodles are not actually a real breed and a crapshoot of what it will be like. So it looks like Bichons may be a good fit.

It looks like the main cons are separation anxiety and grooming. Anything else I need to be aware of? There is only one breeder in my state that I'm aware of.

I got my kittens a couple months ago from the shelter and trying to figure out what to feed them. I was told they were fed Hill’s kitten food at the shelter.

I started off buying Costco (purple bag) chicken & rice for all life stages and their Friskies wet food.

I read to switch brands slowly, so I combined Hill’s and Costco for a few weeks. One of the cats was having loose stools but I thought maybe it was a leftover shelter thing. The Hill’s ran out so their dry food became all Costco. Still loose stools.

I got Hill’s kitten wet food but they refused to eat it at all so I gave it away and went back to Friskies. I bought a probiotic powder at Walmart but didn’t seem to help.

I then switched the dry to Hill’s kitten and that seems to have fixed the loose stools.

Can someone explain to me the nutritional differences between the Costco chicken & rice and Hill’s and why my kitten wasn’t able to tolerate it? Is this wet food ok? I make them a “soup” and add warm water to their Friskies wet but some flavors they tend to reject and still looking around for better options.

Dry: all day free feeding

Wet: dinner time, mixed with warm water

I am 43. I got divorced last year, and have since designated my 4 children (the eldest is now 16, youngest is 7) as equal beneficiaries in all my accounts (401k, IRAs, taxable brokerage, life insurance through employer) and a house I just bought with a 30-year mortgage.

At what point do I need a will and/or a trust? What else do I need to know to plan in case something happens to me?

I was completely naive when I first separated a few years ago from my ex-husband, and want to be more savvy this time around as I plan my future.

Ex and I have a joint custody, though on tense terms and dislike each other. He is pretty wealthy and has his own money and real estate. I don’t have any other extended family.

I do have a serious partner who lives with me; only my name is on the title of the house and partner is not listed as a beneficiary anywhere. At this point he and I keep our finances separate, with him paying me a set amount of rent every month and taking turns on groceries.

Also, in case this matters: my total net worth (home and accounts) is still under $1m.

Per my investment philosophy which aligns with Bogleheads, I am invested only in low cost index funds for 95% of my portfolio. The remaining 5% I have in thematic ETFs of high conviction for my “play money” in my Roth IRA and they are doing very well!

I know I’m supposed to take profits and move them to low cost index funds. How often is it recommended to do this? What do other Bogleheads (who hold stocks/or non-Bogle funds) do? Do you just remove the principal and then let it ride?

It seems like so much financial advice these days is about how buying a home is NOT a good investment. And I just bought a home. I can afford it, I live in a place with VHCOL and a housing crisis. But I probably would make more renting and investing in the stock market. How do I feel ok about my decision?